LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood’s brightest stars showed up at a glitzy fundraiser for the president. Joe Biden The $28 million fundraising boost announced by Trump’s reelection campaign on Saturday night is intended to galvanize potential supporters ahead of the November election that he claims is one of the most crucial in the nation’s history.
George Clooney, Julia Roberts Barbra Streisand and others took to the stage at Los Angeles’ 7,100-seat Peacock Theatre. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel interviewed Biden and former President Barack Obama, with both stressing the need to defeat Obama. Donald Trump This is a race that is expected to be very close.
During the debate, which lasted more than 30 minutes, Kimmel asked Biden, the Republican front-runner, whether the public was suffering from amnesia, to which Biden replied, “You just have to remember what it was like when Trump was in the White House.”
Celebrities in the entertainment industry The push to support the Biden campaign is growingAnd just how important the event was to his reelection bid was illustrated by the Democratic president’s decision to fly overnight, across nine time zones, from the G7 summit in southern Italy to Southern California to take part.
He also Swiss Summit Instead of discussing how to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, he sent Vice President Kamala Harris on a whirlwind trip to Ukraine to represent the US in the country – a stark reminder of the delicate balance between geopolitics and Biden’s bid to win a second term.
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Adding to the political overtones, police in riot gear were present outside the theater, bracing for protests from pro-Palestinian activists angered by the regime’s response. Israel’s war against Hamas In Gaza.
The event featured singing performances by Jack Black and Sheryl Lee Ralph, and actors Kathryn Hahn and Jason Bateman introducing Kimmel, who then introduced Biden and Obama. “I was told I’d be introduced by Batman, not Bateman,” the comedian said with a straight face.
But he quickly shifted the topic to more serious topics, saying “so much is at stake in this election,” citing women’s rights, health care issues and, in a reference to the Biden administration’s calls to expand voting rights, noting that “even the ballot counts.”
Kimmel asked the president what accomplishment he was most proud of, and Biden said he thought his administration’s approach to the economy was “going well.”
“We have the strongest economy in the world right now,” Biden said, adding, “We’re trying to give ordinary people a level chance.”
Trump He campaigned in Detroit on Saturday. He also criticized Biden’s handling of the economy and inflation. Trump campaign spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said the president was fundraising “with naive Hollywood elites.”
But Biden told the California audience, “we passed every major piece of legislation we wanted to pass,” and Obama praised sweeping bills overseen by the former vice president’s administration on health care, public works, the environment, tech manufacturing and gun safety.
“What we’re seeing right now is a byproduct of 2016, where a lot of people, for one reason or another, didn’t vote,” said Obama, who, like Biden, was wearing a black suit and an open-collared white shirt.
“Hopefully we’ve learned our lesson, because this election has very specific implications,” Obama added of the Supreme Court.
Trump appointed three justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion. The mere mention of Roe prompted ribbing from the audience, to which Obama responded, “Don’t boo, vote,” a play on his usual refrain of voting over booing.
Biden said whoever is elected president in November could have the opportunity to nominate two new justices, but a second term for Biden is unlikely to bring about any significant overhaul of the Supreme Court, which currently has a 6-3 conservative majority.
He also suggested that “one of the scariest parts” of what would happen if Trump were to retake the White House would be the Supreme Court, which he said has “never been more outdated.”
Biden also said: Upside down flagTrump’s False claims Protest posters alleging election fraud went up in front of the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in January 2021. Alito expressed concern on Saturday that if Trump is reelected, he “will appoint two more people who will fly the flag upside down.”
Kimmel brought his own unique brand of humor to the event, at one point asking how the president could get back at the talk show hosts who make fun of him on television every night.
“Ever heard of Delta Force?” Biden responded, referring to the Army’s special operations forces.
Earlier in the show, Kimmel mentioned Biden’s campaign promise to restore the soul of America, saying, “Maybe we need an exorcism these days.” He then asked Biden, “Is that why you visited the Pope?” Biden and Pope Francis We met in Italy on friday.
The Biden campaign is still tallying, but Saturday night’s rally raised at least $28 million, more than any other event by the Democratic candidate to date.
It’s the president’s A fundraiser held at Radio City Music Hall in March The event in New York raised $26 million and featured late-night host Stephen Colbert interviewing Biden, Obama and former President Bill Clinton.
Biden initially held a lead over Trump in the campaign finance battle, but has been gaining momentum since formally winning the Republican nomination.
Trump It surpassed Biden’s New York event. A megadonor gathering at billionaire investor John Paulson’s Florida mansion in April raised $50.5 million, and the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee said they raised as much as $141 million in May, thanks to tens of millions of dollars in donations that poured in after Trump’s election campaign. Guilty hush money in criminal trial.
The post-conviction rise is Trump and the GOP He said he raised $76 million in April, far surpassing the $51 million raised by Biden and the Democrats in the same month..
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Weisert reported from Washington.
